At
Wrightslaw, our goals are to help you gain the information and skills
you need to navigate the confusing world of special education. In
this issue, we bring you up to date on IDEA reauthorization news
and help you avoid common mistakes people make.

"Summer
went fast, didn't it? The kids are back in school. Parents are
returning to normal schedules after summer activities. Congress
returns to Washington. Some things have changed. Others have stayed
the same."

"One
thing has not changed from June. The Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act [IDEA 97] remains under attack, and 6.5 million
students and their families remain with their backs against the
wall. September, always a busy month, will be pivotal in the battle
to save IDEA 97."

* Senate bill (S. 1248) allows schools to put children in alternative
settings, even if a hearing officer reverses the school.

* Senate bill 1248 ignores studies by the Government Accounting
Office (GAO) that say there is no data to justify changing the
IDEA discipline rules.

Your job is to convince your Senators to adopt a good IDEA. You
will not convince Senators by attacking political parties. This
is not the time to vent. Since you may be asking Republican Senators
to go against the recommendation from their own policy committee,
it's not a good idea to attack Republicans or their party. Just
say that the Senate Republican Policy Committee wants X and this
is a bad idea for Y reason.

As
the new school year begins, you need to think about avoiding mistakes.
Massachusetts attorney Bob Crabtree offers great advice in his
Mistakes People Make series.

Mistakes Parents Make

Because
the stakes are so high, it is difficult for parents of children
with special educational needs to advocate calmly and objectively
for the educational and related services their children need.
Read this article to learn about the mistakes
parents make.

Anything
a school system does that undermines parents' trust creates a
climate that is costly in dollars, time, peace of mind, and the
quality and success of services given to the child. This article
describes the most common mistakes
school systems make.

Because the non-lawyer advocate plays an extremely important role
in the special education process, advocates must be mindful of
the power of their role and the trust parents place in them. The
more
serious mistakes advocates make are generally ones of
excess . . .

To make their case for services or a specific program for their
child, parents usually need a competent, credible independent
evaluator. Serious mistakes by evaluators can make undermine their
credibility or render their opinions powerless. Learn about mistakes
independent evaluators make.

The
Special Ed Advocate is a free online newsletter about
special education legal and advocacy issues, cases, and tactics
and strategies. Subscribers receive "alerts" about new
cases, events, and special offers on Wrightslaw books.